Bhadra Tiger Reserve Bhadra Tiger Reserve is located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, spreading over Chikmagalur (Chikmagalur, Narashimarajapura and Tarikere Taluks) and Shimoga (Bhadravathi Taluk) districts. The reserve is shaped in the form of a saucer having mostly undulating terrain with valleys and steep hillocks. The habitat is well drained by the river Bhadra and its tributaries.

Area of the Tiger Reserve Core/Critical/Tiger habitat : 500.16 Sq kms Buffer/Peripheral area : 571.84 Sq kms Total : 1072.00 Sq kms Location Latitudes : 130 25’ N to 130 50’ N Longitudes : 750 15’ E to 750 50’ E

Map

1 Habitat Attributes

Flora The flora of the reserve comprises of : Southern moist mixed deciduous Forests: Terminalia tomentosa (Mathi), Lagerstroemia lanccolata (Nandi), Termmalia paniculata (Kiudal) Southern dry mixed deciduous Forests: Trees are typically leafless during certain parts of the year. Pterocarpus marsupium (Honne), Grewia tilifolia (Tadasalu), Bambusa arundinacea, Dendrocalamus strictus. Sholas: Typically evergreen type of vegetation controlled by elevation with species like Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Mimusops elengi, Strobilanthus species, grassland and old plantations.

Fauna Bhadra Tiger Reserve is home to about 40 species of large mammals, of which most are endangered. Tiger, Leopard, Leopard cat, Dholes, Indian Civet, ungulates like Gaur, Sambar and Barking Deer are common. Birdlife in the reserve is abundant, and around 250 species of avifauna have been identified. A large number of reptiles are found which include: Monitor lizard and crocodile. The Bhadra river supports around 81 species of fishes. The reserve is unique as it nestled within several hill ranges, with the Bhadra river and its tributaries forming the lifeline for flora and fauna. The habitat has a good population of elephants and is also an Elephant Reserve.

Tiger Status The tiger is well distributed in the reserve, with a population ranging between 20-25.

Core The core area has a rich biodiversity and most of it is free from biotic disturbance. As many as 10 villages have been voluntarily relocated.

Buffer The Buffer area is subjected to forestry operations and NTFP collection. Besides, there are coffee estates and private land. Fine tuning of forestry operations to mainstream wildlife concerns and addressing the co-occurrence agenda with people are important.

Corridor Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Kudremukh National Park and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary are part of the same landscape. The corridor linkages between these habitats are fragile and require restoration by fostering the strategy adopted for the buffer area.

2 Managerial issues Stepped up protection through antipoaching camps, patrolling by boats in the Bhadra reservoir, tiger monitoring using Phaseg protocol and active management of the buffer to address the co- occurrence agenda are important thematic areas.

Good Practices Smart patrolling through M-STrIPES protocol, Phase-IV monitoring of tiger, protection and voluntary relocation of villages.

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